Whether you prefer to leave your Christmas shopping until the last minute, or you have already started buying your festive goodies, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to buying gifts this year in Marbella.
UK shops start to dress their windows with festive displays in October, and whether you love Christmas or loathe it, there is no getting away from it. I have always felt that Christmas in Spain, traditionally, is much more low-key, but notice this year, that many of the decorative street lights are already up, and the festive season should be in full swing much earlier than usual.
Marbella and Puerto Banus offer some of the best shopping centres and exclusive designer shops in Spain. La Cañada is situated just above Marbella town, and can be reached easily by bus or taxi. With hundreds of shops, including many well known designer names, plus a cinema and restaurant complex, this is one of the most complete malls on the Costa del Sol. Also includes a fabulous bowling complex upstairs and ample free parking. For smaller designer boutiques and exclusive fashion shops, Puerto Banus is unbeatable. Take a stroll round the marina or enjoy a walk round El Corte Inglés which is situated just near the N-340 at Puerto Banus and you will find everything you are looking for. Nueva Andalucia hosts its own street market only two minute´s walk from Puerto Banus, and you can buy anything from leather goods, Peruvian beads or even a feather duster from this unique craft market. The Cristamar Centre also offers some wonderful Christmas gift ideas.
Situated just outside town, next to Myramar Shopping Centre is Dunnes Stores, selling a great range of reasonably priced children´s and adults clothes, shoes and fashion accessories. A well stocked food hall and bakery also sells fresh pastries and cakes, and there is a comfortable bar/café just inside the store where you can relax after a hard morning´s shopping.
If you enjoy shopping in a relaxed, outdoor atmosphere, there is no better place than Fuengirola´s Saturday Flea Market. Situated on the Fair Ground between the centre of Fuengirola and Los Boliches, this is a unique weekly Market which is unrivalled on the coast.
Open from 9am to 3pm, almost anything can be found here, and the hustle and bustle of the market creates a great atmosphere for visitors from all over the Costa Del Sol. The stalls sell a diverse range of goods including Electrical and Household items, Antique Furniture and Paintings, Andalucian Pottery, Second Hand Clothes and Toys, Fresh Herbs and Spices, Books, Fabulous Leather Goods, the largest range of Bath Crystals and Pot Pourri you are ever likely to see, and even a stall selling replica Military Outfits from the days of General Franco!
Many excellent bars and cafes surround the Feria Ground and there is no shortage of places to stop for refreshments after a hard morning´s shopping.
If you are looking for some ´different gift ideas´, take a trip up to Mijas, and have a look around the gift shops in the centre of town. A friend of mine bought me a beautiful, multi- coloured gecko for my birthday recently which now has pride of place on the door to ward off evil spirits. Lucky charms and beads, are also great gifts.
Another shop we discovered recently, in the middle of Fuengirola is called Vom Fass, which sells a unique range of olive oils, balsamic vinegars, fruit liqueurs and malt whisky. You can visit the shop, taste/try any of the products, which are sold in the bottles/containers of your choice, and make up your own gift ideas, which will be wrapped and presented as you want them. The whiskies and oils are stored in small barrels, and you can try any product on sale before you buy.
The owners are informative and helpful, and this is a great place to buy Christmas gifts. Vom Fass is located off Church Square in Fuengirola. With your back to the church, where you see the pharmacy on the left, walk down this street and straight on for 50m, and you will come to C/Marbella. Vom Fass is just 20m down this road on the right hand side.
Vom Fass translates literally as “from the cask”, and this is the main concept of the brand. Some clients describe the shop as the candy store for grown-ups. Vom Fass houses the widest selection of the finest fruit vinegars matured in wood barrels, exquisite virgin olive oils, with herb extracts and with citric fruit extracts. A wide selection of seed and nut oils, exclusive liqueurs and an incredible choice of spirits, all sold directly from the cask.
Whatever you are looking to buy in Fuengirola or Marbella, you will find it without much trouble. Start your Christmas shopping early this year, and avoid the stress and hassle of rushing round the shops at the last minute.
Source: andalucia-travelguide.com
Michael Liggan brings you the latest news and property listings for Marbella, Puerto Banus and surrounding areas. For further information, please visit Alta Vista Spain's website at www.altavistaspain.com.
